Fresh green salads are a no brainer for the summer. They are refreshing, crisp and light, as a summer salad should be. Yet sometimes you may want all of that in a salad but need a tad more substance. This is when pasta takes its cue and comes to the rescue. (In my opinion, pasta answers any of my rescue calls. It's my lifesaver. Literally and figuratively!)
This Orzo Pasta Salad with a nod to Greece, is an oldie but goodie. As with some of my archive recipes, I made them a lot in the past but then just moved on. Or so I thought. Come to find out that both my sisters, Alyssa and Jill, have continued to make this particular recipe throughout the years. Which gives me smiles. What gives them smiles is when I have to call them so THEY can remind me how I originally told them to make it. Who cares how we get our smiles, as long as we are smiling.

First, allow me to enumerate on the many great aspects of this dish.

First, it's easy, and that is a huge plus. Good food doesn't have to be complicated or a royal pain in the...
Second, since it uses orzo, the pasta component isn't too heavy yet it satisfies superbly. How perfectly is that!
Third, it contains crunchy vegetables. This is two fold good because we all need our veggies and they provide another textural element.
Fourth, it packs a ton of flavor.

Geez, I could keep on keeping on, but do I really need to? Trust me, it's good. So let's get down to brass tacks and assemble this one up. I say ala Greek because the ingredients are similar to a Greek Salad just no lettuce but instead a tooth bite of orzo.

Ingredients

(Yields approx. 5 cups)

1 lb. box Orzo, cooked
1 c English cucumber, seeds removed, small dice
1/3-2/3 c Calamata olives, chopped
1.5 - 2 c red, orange, yellow pepper, small dice
1/4 c scallions, sliced
1/3 heaping c red onion, small dice
2/3 c fresh basil, chiffonade
2/3 - 3/4 c Feta cheese, crumbled

Alright, let me continue with the plusses on this salad. You can prep everything the day before if you wanted to. Just place the chopped vegetables in an airtight container. You could even cook the orzo if you wanted to. Just add some oil to keep it from sticking together. Heck, you can make the salad a day ahead of time. Just add the feta before serving. I told you I could go on and on about the pros to this salad.

Instructions

Cook the orzo according to the package. I like mine, as with all my pastas, al dente. While the orzo is cooking chop the vegetables and olives as suggested above. Let the orzo cool a bit, then toss it together with vegetables and olives.

Orzo, the perfect little pasta.  This time it's starring in a salad.  But try it in soups. Che buono! — Orzo, the perfect little pasta. This time it's starring in a salad. But try it in soups. Che buono!

When cutting up vegetables, I usually like to slice them up in different sizes to create varying textures and shapes. However, with this salad I would recommend cutting everything in relatively the same size. It creates an balanced salad, a balanced bite as well as makes it easy to eat.

This time the veggies are conforming to one size, but they don't mind.

Once you have everything cut, combine with the orzo. Then move onto mixing up the dressing.

Whisk up or mix up in a jar, and dress the salad up.

Dressing

2/3 c Olive oil
1/4 c Red Wine Vinegar
1 t dried oregano
2 heaping t salt
1/2 t crushed black pepper
2 t fresh lemon juice
Zest of lemon, optional

Whisk together and pour over the salad. I do like to add the dressing when the orzo is slightly warm. The pasta tends to absorb even more of the flavor. Once combined, add most of feta cheese and chopped basil leaves.

Leave some so you can adorn the top of the salad with more feta and basil, and serve. This salad is best at room temp. But I have eaten it right out of the refrigerator. (Actually, standing in the refrig, spoon in hand and gobbling it right out of the container.)

Versatile and vibrant little summer pasta salad that goes with everything. It's great for a midweek meal using any leftovers for lunch the next day. (That is if you have any leftovers). Add a base of mixed greens and pile some pasta salad on top. And of course, this dandy of a dish is simply divine for a summer BBQ crowd. I even brought a batch into the staff at Despaña and it got all smiles all around. Like I said, pasta to the rescue.

Printable Recipe Version

It may have taken me a year of promising you this "pie" mentioned in my About page, but finally here is the recipe that was the genesis of my 'something from nothing' style. It was hatched oh so long ago when my sister, Jill, needed help using up a boat load of zucchini that was given to her. When I use the term boat load, I don't feel it to be an exaggeration. The fact that we made zucchini bread, muffins, fried zucchini, you name it, yet when all was said and done we STILL had zucchini spilling over. Thus began the search for what else can we toss together to cook the zucchs up before they went belly up. I started rummaging through her refrigerator and cupboards in hopes to find inspiration. Mind you, my sis did not use fresh herbs or have an abundance of fresh items from which to select. My search turned up the following:
A box of orzo, canned chicken stock, grape tomatoes, frozen pie crust and mozzarella, plus the usual suspects, salt, pepper, garlic, dried oregano and oil. (Thank goodness for the oregano!)

Ingredients

1/2 box Orzo (6 oz)
1 deep dish Frozen pie crust
1.5 c grape, cherry or your favorite tomatoes
1 - 1.5 c Mozzarella, shredded
2-3 cloves, garlic, finely chopped
3 qts Chicken or Vegetable stock, you can also use water
salt, pepper to taste
1/2 t dried oregano
pinch red pepper flakes, optional
Olive oil
and of course, ZUCCHINI (2-3 medium, cubed)

Sure, I could have just made a pasta salad I guess, but I was feeling creative, adventurous and let's face it the universe was providing me with a golden nugget that would materialize 20 years later.

Instructions

In a 350 degree oven, blind bake the crust, dotting with a fork the sides and bottom so it doesn't bubble up. Cut up the zucchini and tomatoes and grate the cheese and set them aside.

Sauté the zucchini in garlic and olive oil. Add salt, pepper, dried oregano and cook until tender. That's right, dried oregano because that was the only kind of herb my sister had in her house.

Once the zucchini is cooked add the chicken or vegetable stock and the orzo. Cooking it together like this really help the flavors to cozy up and get to know one another nicely. Once all the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is tender, spoon it into the pie crust.

Cooking the zucchini first then adding the stock and orzo let all the flavors meld together.

Top with the chopped tomatoes and the shredded mozzarella.

Bake in a 350 degree until the cheese is nice and bubbly. Let cool slightly before slicing it up.

I will admit to you that after that "experimental" day years back, I never made that pie again. Not because it wasn't good, but it was created to solve the problem of the moment; too much zucchini. Since that problem didn't arise again, plus add the fact I could never eat an entire pie on my own, I thought the recipe was a one off. Jokes on me, since much to my surprise, my sister Jill, recently told that she has been making it regularly ever since. Her girls LOVE it and they make it together all the time. And since her husband loves this too she has to make two at time since they disappear so quickly. Even her girls' friends have come to love the 'zucchini pie'.

So in honor of our first making of this pie, my sister and I embarked on making it together again for the photos on this post. What a joy to recreate this with her and two of her daughters. And full disclosure. Since I haven't made this pie in YEARS, I had to rely on Jill for measurements and instructions. This gives her a good giggle since the tables were completely turned with me asking HER for info. That said, I am tickled pink that she still makes it but the icing on this pie is that it is a hit with her family and has become a tradition.

Please remember, this is a rustic pie but one that can fill up your family in a pinch. Serve it up for a lunch or dinner with salad or veggies on the side. As with most of my recipes, swap out for what you have. Here are some ideas.

Orzo = Israeli couscous, Pastina, Arborio rice
Zucchini = summer squash, spinach, escarole, eggplant... well any vegetable really
Mozzarella = Fontina, goat cheese, feta,
The possibilities are abundant, so enjoy your rustic pie anyway you like.

Recipe Printable Version